hampshire, tonight, extending as far south as florida. spring training, the pitcher for the washington nationals all bundled up. out west, this new storm coming ashore will blow down the coast and then head to the midwest. ginger zee with the all picture -- with the whole picture beginning with the blinding snow in the northeast. >> reporter: it's snowing and blowing again in new england. winds roaring on cape cod, nearly 60 miles per hour gusts. the storm clipped long island, sending cars into ditches. in maine, they were buried last weekend and are fighting through again today. >> i'm ready for spring. yeah, i'm definitely sick of winter. >> reporter: in massachusetts, more salt, more plows and up to six inches of fresh snow. just last weekend, we were trudging around in more than two feet of snow. and on cape cod, we met bob and arlene williams who last week were forced into a red cross shelter after that epic blizzard robbed them of electricity and heat. tonight bob and arlene tell me they got another half foot of

snow, but the power and heat is still on. >> it's not as nasty. the last storm was nasty. >> reporter: this is the same storm that brought snow to the carolinas and icy temps to florida. farmers there just trying to keep their crops warm through one more night of sub freezing cold. >> glad to hear bob and arlene did not lose power again. you were saying, this system is moving off shore just as the system out west will cause trouble. >> our attention has to turn to the west. tomorrow into tuesday, they're going to start to feel it. southern oregon, northern california. tuesday afternoon, thunderstorm, even hail in southern california and that same system going to reinvigorate, pass over denver, through the midwest. see the white blob, that could be a foot and a half of snow or more. going to be incredible. south looking for tornadoes, hail, damaging winds, that's on thursday. >> a mess of a week ahead. ginger, our thanks to you. now to the exploding case

from south africa, the olympian known as the blade runner, oscar pistorius, facing murder charges in the death of his girlfriend. both families are speaking out just as another headline breaks, the controversy over the reality show debuting this weekend with that girlfriend still in it. and you'll see here tonight what they chose to use. bazi kanani is in pretoria tonight. >> reporter: an explosive report in a major south african newspaper tonight. the respected city press says multiple police sources confirmed to them, a bloody cricket bat found in oscar pistorius's home after the valentine's day shooting of his cover model girlfriend is a key piece of evidence. possibly used in an argument leading up to her fatal shooting. police officials refuse to comment on the new claims, appearing just as pistorius's family has been coming to his defense. >> i can promise you, with the knowledge i've got, he will come out right. >> reporter: pistorius's father today is quoted saying his son

shot steenkamp accidentally, mistaking her for an intruder. what do you do if somebody is in the house? he said, do you think it's one of your family? of course, you don't. the victim's father also speaking out offering surprising sympathy for a man he had never even met, saying, he must be going through things that we don't know about. there is no hatred in our hearts. and now controversy over the premiere of a reality show reeva steenkamp had recently taped. a special tribute airing last night. but under fire for being insensitive, criticized in their use of her last words on the series. >> the way that you go out, not just your journey in life, but the way that you make your exit is so important if you even made an impact in a positive way or a negative way. >> reporter: some south africans angrily called for the series to be canceled, but her family supports the decision to air it, allowing her memory to live on on national tv. david? >> bazi kanani from south africa.

and from russia this evening, the fall-out from the massive meteor. that came crashing to earth. tonight we learned it was traveling 46,000 miles per hour when it crashed. and this evening, people on the internet looking to make money off their supposed meteoric finds. here's kirit radia. >> reporter: the meteor exploded in midair. the force of 30 hiroshima bombs, scattering glass across the region. and also scattering valuable fragments, worth big money for anyone who finds them. tonight scientists have confirmed the first fragment found near this hole in a frozen lake where a big chunk landed. meteor debris is worth $100 to $100,000 depending on size. already so-called meteor pieces are showing up on ebay, this one going for $490. this one for just under a thousand. notice how they don't look

anything alike. so that's it, huh? this man found a tiny rock he thinks was part of the meteor. he says he found it on that frozen lake. the hole became something of a tourist attraction, people streaming in to see it for themselves. more conspiracy-minded folks have suggested this was an american rocket attack, or even an alien space invasion. but others, quite genuinely, have found a more divine interpretation. ♪ the faithful gather at this church by the lake, some seeking to attribute spiritual meaning to the cosmic event. father dimitri says there are still more people visiting the hole than the church. but he says god saved this village. kirit radia, abc news, chebarkul, russia. >> kirit, our thanks to you. on this sunday, a swelling crowd at the vatican for one of pope benedict's final appearances. just as we learn tonight of jockeying among the cardinals of the vatican and of the bold

warning. cardinals will be told they will not be allowed to tweet when they arrive to choose the new pope. david wright reporting from the vatican. david? >> reporter: good evening, david. it's late, but the lights are on tonight in the pope's apartment. just look up there. they seem to be the only ones on. perhaps he's packing up. earlier today as he addressed the faithful, he didn't even acknowledge his imminent departure, but the crowd sure did. at least 50,000 roman catholics came to say goodbye. but pope benedict kept it strictly business as usual. even though he will appear in that window just one more time, before he makes way for someone else. >> the crowd was here for benedict today and it matters probably more to them than to him. >> reporter: even before this pope has fully said his goodbyes, behind the scenes the focus has already turned to choosing his successor. a process that has always followed strict rules and is full of intrigue. this weekend the vatican floated a trial balloon, perhaps the

cardinals won't wait the usual 15 days to start the election. but from some quarters, strong objections. that only the pope can change church law. and for benedict to do so now might look like he's meddling. his retirement has already shaken the process up. >> and make sure your retirement years are golden. >> reporter: "saturday night live" parodied that idea. with a retirement ad. one more change this time around -- twitter. several cardinals do it. but they won't be allowed to once inside the conclave. because the vatican doesn't want a tweet to upstage the white smoke. david? >> david, our thanks to you. back here at home and to the economy. you likely don't need us to point out the steep hike in gas prices. the average price of a gallon of gas, $3.68, two months straight now price hikes at the pump. want to bring in "gma" host bianna golodryga. who also covers the economy for us. you're looking into the numbers, they're steep. >> and painful. look at the graphics.

inr in -- in just the past week, gas prices have been up 13 cents the past month, 42 cents. these price hikes, if they continue, will cost the average family nearly $400 in addition to what they already pay for the year. >> another 400. in the meantime, do we know why they're going up? >> they're going up because oil prices are going up. but it's a puzzle as to why. but this is not a typical time where you see a lot of demand. they are transitioning to different blends. there are people who think this is speculation from investors, but there's not one clear answer as to why. >> you mentioned the blend. that usually happens spring to summer, will we see more hikes? >> that remains a concern. you're right, we usually talk about gas prices going up before memorial day weekend, not before president's day weekend. >> bianna, thank you. now to the growing furor after the leak of a white house plan on immigration reform. "usa today" first reporting the plan would allow illegal immigrants to become permanent after eight years. requiring businesses to check worker's stat us and providing more money for border security. i want to bring in reena ninan.

we were talking last night and you said both parties seem to be nearing the plan. the question tonight, why would the white house leak this, risking momentum? >> reporter: the white house said it was unintentional. once the story broke, they reached out to both parties, but republicans on the hill say the damage is done. marco rubio releasing this statement. the legislation is half-baked and seriously flawed. it would actually make our immigration problems worse. if actually proposed, the president's bill would be dead on arrival in congress. a senior administration official telling me tonight there's no evidence the talks have been jeopardized. >> reena, thank you. overseas to pakistan where the death toll is growing after a bombing in a crowded market there. angry shi'ites protesting around that country after the attack killed 81 people. attacks on shi'ites are on the rise in the sunni country. strong words from iran. a top lawmaker is saying western sanctions won't stop their nuclear program. vowing its underground nuclear

enrichment site will never be closed. the facility's closure is a key demand of the west just as a new round of nuclear negotiations is set to take place this week. back at home tonight and to our consumer watchdog report and a growing problem. americans and their credit scores taking a dive. and sometimes it's not your fault. tonight paula faris with one woman trying to fight back. >> reporter: they're the credit reports that can make or break a loan. this week we learned those reports have errors that could keep us from getting a car loan, a mortgage, even a job. a new study uncovered one in five americans have mistakes on their credit report and over four million of us have mistakes that can lower our credit score. >> it's very important that this information be accurate, so that consumers are not harmed by inaccurate information. >> reporter: that's exactly what happened to renee from ohio, who unsuccessfully battled the credit bureaus for three years over a mortgage discrepancy.

she says her credit rating was destroyed. and her and her family couldn't buy a new home. >> i had good credit. i worked hard for it. then i had to watch the whole thing fall apart. >> reporter: we reached out to the big three credit bureaus and they told us to talk to this man. stewart pratt. head of their trade group. >> credit bureaus want to get it right in the first place. these consumers are their customers. >> reporter: so can you fix your score? it's possible, but time consuming. check your report at least once a year. go to annual credit report.com. it's a government-run site. you can print your report for free. go through line by line and write down any errors. finally, gather proof and contact each of the three credit bureaus. by law, they have 30 days to respond. if they don't, go to the spc or our state's attorney general. renee has had to rebuild her credit, but it's been a painful lesson. >> what i figured out, you're at the mercy of the credit bureau.

>> what a nightmare for renee. you said she caught it, but caught it too late? >> she did. make those calls. the ftc telds me, if you get nowhere, contact them directly. they're policing these agencies more now than ever. >> in the meantime, you made calls for renee, will they look at her report again? >> they said they would and they'd get back to us. >> paula, thank you. much more ahead, air rage on the rise. you'll remember this passenger here, duct-taped by the crew and passengers. tonight, the newest headline, this baby allegedly hit in the face by a passenger for crying. tonight we ask, what is going on? later tonight, behind the scenes of the dance. the girl from kentucky, jennifer lawrence, revealing what still has her mother so worried, as we ask, will her silver linings lead to gold? hey, it's me, progressive insurance. "silver linings lead to gold? " lead to gold?

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it came down that way at jonah's eye right here. >> reporter: jessica and fbi investigators say another passenger, 60-year-old joe hundley assaulted her little boy. when jonah started to cry, hundley reportedly told mom, shut the n-word baby up. >> and i said, what did you just say? and he was so drunk that he fell onto my face and his mouth moved over to my ear. >> reporter: then she says, hundley slapped the child. >> when i look at jonah's face, his eye was swollen here and it was bleeding. >> reporter: authorities say cases of air rage are up about 30%. earlier this year, a passenger was so drunk and unruly, he was bound with duct tape by fellow passengers. and those memorable outbursts from flight attendants seemingly fed up. but air rage incidents involving children, almost unheard of.

tonight, jonah's dad has a message for hundley. >> i hope he's embarrassed. i hope he feels ashamed. >> the fbi telling us tonight, hundley is expected to turn himself in to face that assault charge. hundley's attorney says we shouldn't rush to judgement, he plans to plead not guilty. >> everything about the story was awful. thank you, gio. when we come back, what jeff gordon said today when danica patrick beat him. history made even before the daytona 500. it's a new day. if your a man with low testosterone,

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turning now to the instant index on a sunday night. racing to the top of the list, danica patrick, making nascar history this evening after pulling off the biggest win of her four-year nascar career, becoming the first woman ever to win the daytona 500 pole. over 196 miles per hour, she beat out 37 other drivers, including four-time champion jeff gordon. >> being the fastest going into qualifying is as good as you could hope for, but i also understand that it's a whole nother day. >> characteristically humble. >> jeff gordon also reacting tonight. we love this. he said, quote, it's great to be part of history. i can say i was the fastest guy today. 25 years and $25 million at the box office, actor bruce willis is back on top. willis now 55. back with his newest "die hard" more than two decades after the first one in 1988. some critics said it was time for the franchise to retire, willis getting the last laugh. and queen bee tonight on her baby.

bons yoi's documentary out overnight with a rare glimpse of her baby girl with husband jay-z. here she is blue ivy. featured in beyonce's life with but a dream. for the first time we get to see the singer doting over her daughter and just for a few seconds there. a lot of folks wondering today who she looks like more, her mom or her dad. you can tweet us here or simply find me on facebook, let me know what you think. when we come back in the broadcast tonight, our countdown to the oscars here, behind the scenes this evening with the girl from kentucky, dancing with bradley cooper and while she'll likely get another text message from her mother tonight. how can you get back pain relief that lasts up to 16 hours?

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before you begin an aspirin regimen. [ woman ] learn from my story. finally, tonight, our countdown-to-the oscars. will silver turn to gold one week from tonight. jennifer lawrence, up for an oscar for "silver linings playbook" and tonight her own playbook, which all began in kentucky, practicing her roles for her parents. here's abc's chris connelly. >> just 22 with two best actress nominations already on her resume. she has hollywood buzzing with delight. both at her glitz to glam rage --

>> he's harassing me! >> reporter: and at her refreshingly unspoiled self-image. >> i just have a very weird job and if i just remind myself of that, that it's nothing more than that, then i don't start thinking it's more dramatic. >> reporter: oscar nominated this year for "silver linings playbook." on the dance floor with bradley cooper, toe to toe with this guy. >> ever since he was with you -- >> you think i'm why today's happened? >> that's right. >> i'm the reason why today happened? >> reporter: you stare into robert de niro's eyes and tell him off. >> nerve racking. oh, my god, i'm going to be screaming at robert de niro and i'm going to be messing up my lines. fortunately the adrenaline kicked in and i remembered. >> reporter: she grew up in louisville, kentucky, youngest of three. >> my dad started working at home when i was six. so i would dress up as a clown or ballerina and go to my dad every day when he's trying to work, wait, wait, make him watch

me put on a new show. or i'd dress up as someone and knock on the door and say, hi, my name is judy, and my car broke down, can i use your phone? >> reporter: to fans of "the hunger games," she is katniss everdeen. heroin of what will be a movie trilogy. the film's success reshaped not just her life, but those of her loved ones. her mother for one. >> god bless her. she texts me almost every night, are you home, are you okay? >> reporter: when she does venture out -- acting royalty leaves her stunned. >> yeah, i saw meryl streep at a party one time and someone was about to introduce me to bill maher. he was reaching his hand out and i literally put my hand in his face and go, not now, bill! and i just stared at her all night and followed her around and drank and stared at her. like a creep. sorry. >> a lot of people will be staring at jennifer one week from tonight. our thanks to chris connelly tonight.

"good morning america" in the morning. if you're counting, we are, three days until robin returns. and diane and the team right here tomorrow night. from all of us here at abc news, goodnight. >> next at 6:00. regrets and recovery after a ten-year-old is killed in a fire on treasure island. >> stop and friction. the new concerns about the crime-fighting tool. and thousands turn out to rally against the controversial pipeline and what they want the president to do. abc7 news at 6:00 starts now. >> ama: a community in mourning after a ten-year-old girl died in a fire on treasure island.

tonight, residents left homeless try to begin putting back the pieces. good evening, i'm ama daetz. a vigil is set to get underway in less than an hour. tomas roman is live from treasure eye island. >> the candlelight vigil for the girl who died in the fire that destroyed this townhouse behind me, is set to start in an hour. neighbors are expected to gather here to mourn the passing of the ten-year-old who they describe as energetic and sweet. >> neighbors left stuffed animals, balloons, and notes where an early saturday morning fire took the life of core rebound na -- corrina godfrey. two of the subfamilies came together the units are now condemned. jeffrey chambers ran interested north dakota the burping unit to try to save the girl and suffered burns on his arms.

>> i could not help save that child. and that's killing me. it's killing me for two days. i can't sleep at night. i was that close, and yet so far. reporter: some of the 22 residents may be here for the vigil. the red cross has housed them a oakland motels until suitable replacement units are found on treasure island. >> some of those residents will be here as well as neighbors in the area. firefighters tell us that the fire was not suspicious. it is still under investigation. they expect to have a full report on the cause of the fire by tuesday. we'll have more on the vigil at 11:00. live in treasure island, the mass roman. abc7 news. >> ama: thank you. now to an update on the story we brought you yesterday. the family of a 72-year-old woman hit bay muni bus in daly city tellsles she pass away today. the woman was in the crosswalk when she was struck by the back of